The overall goal of the pilot core is the development of research to reduce health disparities. In addition, the funding of pilot studies will enhance faculty and student skill and expertise in successfully conducting culturally competent health disparities research.. The Hampton University School of Nursing has extensive expertise in the conduct of culturally competent care using a multi-system approach, which will provide a base for the development of research on health disparities and will lend strength to the research agenda at both universities. The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has a long history of success with conducting and using the findings of pilot studies to support efforts to obtain extramural funding to conduct full-scale research studies. Penn also has a successful track record in using the pilot studies for mentoring new investigators through such mechanisms as funding through the research committee of the Xi chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, the past P30 Serious Illness Center scientific core, the current P30 Center on Health Outcomes research core, as well as the recent supplement to the P30 Center on Health Outcomes. These recent pilots have been on adherence to blood pressure medication in Philipino families, cardiovascular risk reduction in African American males, and other projects to reduce health disparities. The specific aims of the pilot core are to: 1. Increase the knowledge base by which health disparities are understood by identifying and evaluating client, family, community and health care system factors and testing interventions to reduce health disparities by fostering health promotion and disease prevention; 2. Develop methodologies that are sensitive to answering research questions from diverse communities; 3. Provide feasibility data and preliminary findings that will enable investigators funded by this pilot core to successfully compete for full scale extramural funding; 4. Increase the pool of new investigators from both Hampton and Penn in the conduct of culturally competent health disparity research; 5. Encourage innovative research from established investigators with no previous connection to health disparities research; and 6. Disseminate the findings of the funded pilot studies to the professional and lay communities.